| PNP to name candidate for West Hanover |
| Observer Reporter Saturday, August 10, 2002 |
WESTERN BUREAU -- The People's National Party (PNP) candidate for the constituency of Western Hanover is to be named this weekend, the party's deputy general-secretary, Harry Douglas, told the Observer.
Western Hanover is one of the two constituencies in which the PNP has yet to name candidates to contest the upcoming general elections.
More than two weeks ago, Maxine Henry-Wilson, the party's general-secretary, told the Observer that a final decision on the candidates would be made at the meeting of the party's National Executive Council (NEC) on July 27 and 28.
But Douglas said this week that the party was unable to make a decision at the NEC meeting. He did not give a definitive reason, saying only that "certain things came up".
The party was forced to scramble for a new candidate after the sitting member of Parliament, Ben Claire, announced a few months ago that he was withdrawing from representational politics.
Now, four contenders who have been working in the area are being considered. They are:
* Ralston Anson, Lucea's deputy mayor;
* Shauna Miller, a school teacher;
* Trevor Ruddock, a former member of Parliament for Western Westmoreland; and
* Shaun Reynolds, an attorney.
It is not yet clear which contender will be the candidate of choice but Anson and Reynolds are said to be the two most preferred candidates.
"Anson is very popular, especially among the middle class, so it should be a close race between Reynolds and Anson for the seat," a PNP insider told the Observer.
Reynolds left the ruling party in 1996 and ran in the constituency on the National Democratic Movement ticket a year later. He is said to be very popular in the area.